Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara, of Japan, works out in the bullpen during a baseball workout at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, Oct. 11, 2013. The Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the AL championship series on Saturday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON — Here's a rarity: a manager heading into a playoff series actually made a suggestion that his opponent held an advantage over his own club, even if slight.

"They might have a little more depth, maybe," Tigers skipper Jim Leyland said Saturday of Boston's bullpen. "A little more — maybe a slight edge in getting to that point, although I feel very comfortable with our bullpen."

Boston's relievers were stellar in the first round against the Rays, but almost all of the work was left to Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara. In a series that will potentially go seven games, one imagines that some of Boston's other relievers are going to enter the spotlight in critical moments.

Yet, on the flip side, if Boston's starters can keep up with what's expected to be some very tough pitching from Detroit, then the bullpen's importance is lessened a bit. John Farrell is a big believer that 21 outs from his starter can mean a world of difference compared to 18.

Boston's bullpen ERA from Sept. 1 through the Division Series was 3.86, 10th worst in the majors. The Tigers were seventh-worst, with a 4.60 clip, but those numbers don't reflect the usage pattern of the playoffs.

"Hopefully our starters match up to theirs," Farrell said Saturday. "And I think that will be one of the keys in this series for us. I can't speak for what Jim is thinking about with his own team. Our ability for our starters to keep the game under control will be pivotal for us. How deep into a game they work remains to be seen, but we've got some guys that we trust late in the game, whether it's Craig Breslow ... or Junichi and certainly Koji at the end. But we feel we've got matchup ability, and guys tested most recently in this series."

Leyland actually said something nearly identical.

"I think this series, like most series, to be honest with you, everybody talks about the bullpen, but when you get in the short series, just like the other night, we didn't use our bullpen," Leyland said. "I think this will be a starting pitching series, with the exception of the ninth inning, most likely."

Only one member of Boston's seven-man bullpen hasn't seen postseason action yet.

Temporarily converted to a relief role, Felix Doubront did not pitch at all in the Division Series. He's had an unusual level of success against both of Detroit's big boppers, Miguel Cabrera (1-for-6) and Prince Fielder (0-for-6), although it'd be hard to see Farrell bringing in a left-handed pitcher to face a right-handed hitter who happens to be the reigning American League MVP, Cabrera.

It doesn't sound like Doubront would get looks over Franklin Morales, either.

"It’s going to be factored upon if we’ve already used guys in a certain point of the game and we feel like a left-hander is best suited for a certain spot in the lineup," Farrell said. "He’s on the roster. So there isn’t going to be hesitancy to use him.”

Either way, the less the Red Sox need to use Doubront, the better off they will be. The only way to make sure this series doesn't become a battle of bullpens is for the starting pitchers to do well.

"Our guys are really good," Leyland said of his rotation. "And I think both managers are hoping that the bullpen, unless it's real late, is not as significant maybe. If our starters aren't good, we're not going to win this series, and probably the same for them, that's what I would think."